Have Media Will Travel

A blog about outdoor adventure, family travel, national parks, media, technology, marketing, fitness and me.

fat loss

My Fitness Journey: What’s Next?

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This is POST 7 of my “fitness journeyâ” blogging. For backstory, see Post 1,
Post 2, Post 3, Post 4, Post 4, Post 5 and Post 6.]

Feeling on top of the world Aug. 3 on top of the Grand Teton.
Feeling on top of the world Aug. 3 on top of the Grand Teton.

Those of you who have been following my fitness journey, and my progress over the last four months, know that I have lost 18 pounds and 9.3% bodyfat.

I have been working with personal trainer Steve Bechtel, of Elemental Gym, since March 27.

I have not only lost weight and fat, but very importantly, have increased my energy and feel much better. I can (almost) keep up with my three young sons now.

I also went on some 18- to 21-mile high altitude day hikes in our Wind River Mountains, and more recently summited the Grand Teton.

Many close to me are now asking, “What’s next?”

Steve and I talked today during my training sessions, in between sandbag heaving, what my goals are for this next stretch.

The 4 biggest reasons I want to stay fit. Photographed on Frye Lake are my husband, Jerry, and our three sons, Fin, Hayden and Wolf.
The 4 biggest reasons I want to stay fit. Photographed on Frye Lake are my husband, Jerry, and our three sons, Fin, Hayden and Wolf.

For one thing, my husband, Jerry, has back surgeries and rehab in the near future. He just had a 4-level fusion on his neck (c4-t1). And before the end of this year, he’ll undergo lumbar fusion. He has a future of back problems due to much congenital narrowing, etc. The Hawaii Ironman remains at the top of his life list and we have to get him in a condition where he can train and do it. Fortunately, he’s done many ultras and marathons and is tougher than normal.

So, one thing I’ll be focusing on is continuing to get stronger so I can handle all the lifting that running a household and raising three young sons involves during these next several weeks and months. Jerry is a fantastic husband who does most of the heavy lifting, so to speak, at our home and for our family, so it’s beyond my turn. 🙂

But in addition, I do want some specific fitness-related goals to ensure I keep making progress. I haven’t worked this hard and come this far to let it go or to retreat into my pre-March ways. So, I told Steve I’d like to lose another 3-5 pounds and another 1-2% bodyfat. I want to continue shedding my midsection. Heck, I’d also like to be able to do 20 pull-ups. That would be cool. (Roh-roh, this is a postscript to that last statement. I just learned the women’s pullup record at ETC is 18 pullups. Well, maybe I can take 12 months to do the 20.)

Figuring out what mountains to climb next, metaphorically speaking, is half the fun for me right now. When I'm fit the options are more vast.
Figuring out what mountains to climb next, metaphorically speaking, is half the fun for me right now. When I'm fit the options are more vast.

Steve reminds me my weight/body fat goals will get harder to accomplish now. I don’t have the surplus of fat and weight that I had four months ago, or even two months ago. So I’ll have to stay extra focused on my nutrition and up my training levels even more.

I can’t improve my nutrition/diet much more than I already have. (I guess this can only mean I must stop plucking the peanut M&Ms from the trail mix?) I trust Steve will be pushing me extra hard. (I received from Steve today my new 3xweek workouts that I do on my own, and they’re looking pretty interesting. We’re definitely changing things up and taking it up another notch.)

As for down the line a little, Jerry and I would like to considering doing the Wasatch 100 together. And, there are many 25- and 30-mile Wind River Range area day hikes I plan to do, yet this year before the snow flies, and next year. In fact, these long day hikes in our area are top of my list, as they take little time to do, and the country I can see in our backyard in a long, physical effort is unmatched.

And probably some more 50k trail runs are in my near future, as are some supported, long biking events.

Maybe I will clean the house. Or enroll in a wind surfing camp. Or how about a Denali expedition? Maybe? Who knows?

Readers: Please give me ideas for events or adventures you can think of, or have done, that involve lots of uphill hiking, mountains, endurance and stunning scenery. I’m all ears!

The point is I have options, thanks to my improved fitness. And besides, figuring out what mountains to climb next, metaphorically speaking, is half the fun.

It will be an interesting and challenging next phase. Follow me and I’ll let you in on everything. (And BTW, thanks to all of you for your support!)

I can’t recommend Elemental Gym enough. Yes, hiring a personal trainer or joining a gym costs money and time, but if you’re looking to improve your life and extend it, it’s a no brainer. It’s a far better investment than eating fast food or watching too many hours of television, or doing whatever it is that is taking your time and money that is not as healthy as improving your health. Elemental Gym has a fantastic gym, some terrific programs and classes that will help you achieve better fitness, and some great personal trainers, including Steve Bechtel, Ellen Bechtel, Jagoe Reid, and Sophie Moseman.

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4-mth Fitness Update: “18 lbs, “9.3% body fat

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This is POST 6 of my “fitness journey” blogging. For backstory, see Post 1,
Post 2, Post 3, Post 4 and Post 5.]

Paddling on Frye Lake near my hometown of Lander, WY, recently.
Paddling on Frye Lake near my hometown of Lander, WY, recently.

I woke up a little nervous this morning. You see, today marked my weigh-in, body-fat check and fitness testing at Elemental Gym. I’ve been working with personal trainer Steve Bechtel for 4 months now and every now and again I get weighed and tested.

Hiring a personal trainer and changing my ways has paid off big-time. During the initial 2.5 months, I lost 14 pounds and 7% body fat. Although I’ve continued working out hard and eating right during the last seven weeks, this morning I was uncertain if, or how much, weight and fat I lost. Add to that I was feeling bloated and heavy as I walked into the gym, where Steve greeted me with his testing game-face.

So imagine my delight when I learned I lost another 4 pounds and 2.2% of body fat. According to national body mass index standards, I’m now technically almost “very lean.” : >

My last 4 months – by the numbers.
My last 4 months – by the numbers.

I also am happy to report that I lost an inch in my hips and waist. (This better have been the case since I declined lots of homemade pies, my mother-in-law’s Swedish pancakes and Krispy Kremes during our trip to the Midwest a couple of weeks ago!)

We also performed a slew of other fitness testing exercises we did 7 weeks ago, and I was able to increase my reps in all categories.

For those of you following this blog and my pursuit of improved fitness, weight loss and energy gain, you know that I’m working myself out of a rut I had dug myself into for a period of four or more years. The results have been significant for only 4 months’ time, but the work has been very hard.

When I hired Steve as my trainer he said their goal at Elemental Gym is to get athletes, and all people wanting to become more fit, out of their comfort zone. Boy, has he succeeded in that.

Hiring a personal trainer is a financial, emotional and physical investment. It costs money and time, is a lot of work and can be emotionally challenging. But given the results I’m enjoying, the biggest of which I feel better and have more energy, are well worth all of the aforementioned investments. I’m enjoying a great return on all of them.

So if it sounds like I’m providing props to Elemental Gym and my personal trainer, it’s because I am. I wouldn’t be where I am after just four months without Steve’s tutelage and my investment and commitment.

Below is a graphic that shows how my comfort zone has expanded during the last four months. I’m now doing epic 20-mile day hikes in the mountains with no after effects or recovery needed, and have significantly more energy for our three young sons, my husband and my work. And, I have a Grand Teton expedition coming up on Aug. 1-4.

After 4 months of rigorous exercise and personal training, I've significantly expanded my comfort zone.
After 4 months of rigorous exercise and personal training, I've significantly expanded my comfort zone.

Elemental Gym has a fantastic gym, some terrific programs and classes that will help you achieve better fitness, and some great personal trainers, including Steve Bechtel, Ellen Bechtel, Jagoe Reid, and Sophie Moseman.

Commitment, the Dreaded Thing

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This is Post 5 of my “fitness journey” blogging. For backstory, see Post 1,
Post 2, Post 3 and Post 4.]

Commitment. The dreaded word. It means to pledge, to make an obligation.

DSCN3704-reducedTwo of my favorite commitment-related quotes are:

“Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes; but no plans.” (Peter Drucker)

“There’s a difference between interest and commitment. When you’re interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstance permit. When you’re committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results.”

When I think of the word, commitment, I think of it as something that requires a strong will and hard work, but that is worthwhile.

If there are donuts in front of me and yet I find a way to eat a boiled egg and piece of fruit, that’s commitment. If I’m on vacation and I set the alarm for 5 am and get a workout in before the day of lounging starts, that’s commitment. If I eat a salad when everyone else in the car is feasting on French fries and chicken nuggets, that’s commitment. When Jerry and I chose to marry almost 17 years ago, and later chose to have children, those were commitments. When we started a business 15 years ago, that was a commitment.

We’ve all heard the saying, “Nothing worthwhile is easy.” Well, ain’t that the truth!

The results of all the above personal examples of commitments are positive and worthwhile, but none of them were, or are, easy.

Today I’m writing this as we drive to Iowa and Nebraska for some family visits. There will be lots of good food and excitement and probably a little stress from time to time that comes with all big family gatherings.

I can tell you, with 100% certainty, that it will be hard for me to stay committed to my training and nutrition regimen.

But I will.

DSCN3710-reducedThis is because I’ve made a commitment to lose some weight and fat, increase my fitness, and find more energy. After falling into a rut for four years, every day since I committed to getting out of the rut is a major achievement for me. I want to keep it going. I don’t want to take any steps backward. I’m afraid of failing and letting myself down.

“The only failure comes from within,” said Steve Bechtel , my personal trainer at Elemental Gym, during a recent training session. Boy, I agree with that. The biggest fear I had when I embarked on hiring Steve as a personal trainer three months ago to start climbing out of the deep rut, was that I would not stick to it, and fail.

Steve sums up commitment as much by stating what it isn’t as by what it is. “If you commit to something in your comfort zone, it’s not a commitment,” he says. If it’s easy, he doesn’t consider it a commitment.

After talking through it, we agreed that what makes something a commitment is when it involves making a major decision that represents a significant change. As a result, the stakes are higher. So the decision to make a commitment is one of the hardest aspects of making a commitment.

When I think of the term, commitment, I also think of time cost. And probably that’s another reason I don’t get warm and fuzzy when I think of the term, commitment.

As a long-time business owner, and now a consultant for the business we recently sold, wife, and mother of three young sons, my life is very busy. For me, time is worth more than money, and often I think I don’t have enough of it.

Lack of time is the best excuse for not committing to better health and fitness. Certainly it’s the most convenient. We use it to justify to ourselves, and to others, why we won’t commit to exercise. And we can be pretty convincing and compelling. I convinced myself over and over for four years that I had more important things to tend to than a serious fitness program.

Problem is, we’re not talking about some nonsensical thing. We’re not talking about making time to watch more television, or play more video games, or go on more vacations, or go out to the bar more, or to out to eat more, or to shop more. We’re talking about our health – our quality of life and our vitality.

And furthermore, the lack of time excuse is losing ground as a legitimate excuse for us not committing to regular exercise – and to improving our health.

If you’ve been following my fitness journey blog posts or reading the increasing amount of fitness-related articles in the national press, or talking to the trainers at Elemental Gym, you’re learning that if you exercise at high intensity, far less time is required to realize benefits. Steve says as little as 4 minutes a day of high intensity exercise a day can bring great fitness results. Certainly I’ve seen results of such a program first hand in the 14 pounds of weight loss and 7% of fat loss I’ve experienced in 3 months time. I’m not investing significant blocks of time but instead training really hard for a small amount of time several times a week.

Think for a minute about all the things we do in a day. Can we shave 10 minutes off your TV-viewing time? Maybe get up 10 minutes earlier? Or stay up 10 minutes more? Reduce computer or internet or email time by 10 minutes? Take a 30-minute lunch break instead of an hour lunch? Forego our entire lunch hour for exercise and eat a sandwich at the desk? When we look at it these ways, it’s not hard to find 10 minutes to spare for the betterment of our mind and health.

Personally, I get up extra early to get my exercise in. Jerry and I have three young sons. With each child we’ve had, we have grown accustomed to getting up a little earlier, if only to eke out a little extra time for ourselves. In the very early morning, while the kids are still sleeping, we find our time to exercise. Whatever works. But if you’re willing to get a butt-kicking and do high intensity, we’re just talking 10-24 minutes per session. Suddenly, the “I don’t have time” excuse no longer flies.

For more on time, here’s a video clip of Steve, on time, and the fact great fitness doesn’t require a lot of it:


I don’t want to focus on only my own experiences, successes or failures here. So from time to time, I’m going to provide a profile of someone else I know who’s committed to better fitness and share their experiences. This time I’m putting a spotlight on LORI BARNEY, a friend of mine in Lander, WY, who has made a great commitment to her training and fitness.

Elemental Gym has a fantastic gym, some terrific programs and classes that will help you achieve better fitness, and some great personal trainers, including Steve Bechtel, Ellen Bechtel, Jagoe Reid, and Sophie Moseman.

I’m Having My Cake & Eating It Too

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OMG, check out the "glow" on my face created by the 41 candles! Someone call 911!
OMG, check out the "glow" on my face created by the 41 candles! Someone call 911!

[This is Post 4 about my mid-life training program. For backstory, see Post 1,
Post 2 and Post 3.]

Today, I’m going to have my cake and eat it too. It’s my birthday. I deserve it.

This seems reasonable, don’t you think? The thing is I’m a little hard on myself. I’m not a recovering alcoholic but I imagine that every single day of sobriety is a huge achievement for a recovering alcoholic. I mean no disrespect for alcoholics, just the opposite, but on my training program, which involves a significant nutrition component, I view my good eating habits similar to sobriety. (Again, I know the stakes aren’t on the same level.) I’m hard on myself when I screw up. I’m so hard on myself that most of the time, eating the cake is not worth it.

So my trainer, Steve Bechtel, from Elemental Training Center, is helping me “budget it” into my training. The cost to me for indulging in a huge piece of cake today, as well as a glass or two of Merlot? An extra 6 miles this week.

Snarfing birthday cake, a rare and special indulgence for me. : >
Snarfing birthday cake, a rare and special indulgence for me. : >

Now, onto what this post is really about. Here I’ll share some of the changes I’ve made to my diet that have no doubt helped me lose 14 pounds and 7% body fat in 3 months. Yes, I’ve worked my butt off with the workouts, but I’ve also made some basic changes to what I eat.

The most significant change I’ve made to my diet is that most days I limit my total caloric intake to 10% of my body weight. I’ve cut out all bad carbs, and even some of the excess good carbs I used to enjoy, and added more protein to my diet. The latter makes me feel fuller so has the added benefit of keeping me from overeating or giving in to cravings for not-so-good snacks.

Specific changes I’ve made include the following:

Breakfast: Instead of my usual 2 pieces of peanut butter and jelly toast, I now have either 2 boiled eggs OR 1 boiled egg and ½ cup of Grape Nuts cereal w/1 pack of Equal and Skim Milk for breakfast.
Lunch: I typically have a big salad, sometimes two bowls’ worth, of mixed greens, with craisins, sunflower nuts and grated parmesan cheese + Ranch dressing or Italian dressing. (Regular, not non-fat variety). Sometimes I’ll add some lunch meat or a piece of cheese to this. Or, I’ll have a Hebrew National hotdog. With no bun. I know this doesn’t have a lot of nutritional value but I love Hebrew hotdogs and it’s bbq season and it’s a protein source.
Dinner: Lean meat on the grill (sometimes 1-1/2 servings). Usually lean pork, hamburgers, chicken breast or steak, with 1-2 vegetables, usually asparagus, broccoli, corn or a combo of two of these. I cut out the bread or potato or rice altogether. I think the latter has helped a lot.
Snacks: 14 almonds (seasoned or raw), usually in the morning or/and in the afternoon, 1-2 pieces of jerky, usually in the morning and/or again in the afternoon, plus an apple or pear at some point in the day. Another favorite is fresh pineapple chunks mixed with some cottage cheese.
Dessert: Watermelon, cherries or, my favorite healthy dessert: a pear eaten with some aged cheddar.
Bedtime Snack, if I have a craving for one: microwave popcorn (PopSecret, Homestyle,1 serving size=4 cups of popped corn, which is plenty.) I also like the “Pure Protein” bars, which are 180 calories each, and have equal parts protein and carbohydrates. It’s an indulgence that makes me think I’m eating a candy bar and therefore works as a “treat,” although I realize it’s not as valuable as something more naturally rich in protein and carbohydrates.
Drinks: I gave up soda pop, cold turkey, back in 1992 so that makes it easy. I drink coffee, tea and lots of water. I treat myself to a small glass of Merlot once in a while, as well.
Other things to note: I also gave up French fries, ice cream and chips. I didn’t eat a lot of these things before, but giving them up collectively is without a doubt helping the cause. : >

<em>Paying</em> for my cake. I hiked from Bruce's Camp to Blue Ridge Lookout. 12 miles, 2,800 feet. Was a spectacular day. The cake was worth it.
Paying for my cake. I hiked from Bruce's Camp to Blue Ridge Lookout. 12 miles, 2,800 feet. What a spectacular hike. (The cake was worth it!)

The tip from Steve that I’ll share today is that we can help achieve our fitness goals by being decisive. When we make a decision, we commit to something. We’ve resolved to take a particular course, and in doing so, all other choices are no longer on the table.

I travel a fair amount, and when I’m traveling, I find it is harder to eat healthy than it is to get my workouts in.

The food/snack purchase decision I make at our first stop at the convenience store will set the tone for the rest of the day. Energy bar or almonds? Yep. Snickers or Doritos? Nope. Once I make the decision it’s easy. It’s making that decision that’s hard for me. It can be torturous. I want the Snickers so bad sometimes…or the chips…

Same goes for when I’m working from home and I find myself hungry and wandering into the kitchen. I’ve recently moved our loaf of bread, cookies and other snacks I can’t deprive our young sons of, to drawers, and replaced their countertop positions with almonds, raisins, jerky and fruit. This action alone has made it easier for me to make the right nutrition decisions that bring me closer to my goal.

I’m far from an expert. I have a long way to go, but the above are changes I’ve made that have significantly helped me lose weight and fat, and feel better, while not feeling deprived during the last three months.

And since it’s my 41st birthday, it’s a good time to reflect on how far I’ve come since 1 year ago. When I turned 40, I was regretful when I reflected on my fitness and health level. My fitness level was at its worst, and lowest 12 months ago. (During the surprise 40th birthday party my friends and family threw for me, I silently resolved that during my 40th year I was going to make a change and get back into better health and fitness.) It wasn’t until 9 months after that (3 months ago) that I finally took action and hired Steve as my personal trainer and joined Elemental Training Center. I’m so glad I did. I can’t recommend enough hiring a personal trainer. If you’ve been in a rut for awhile, there’s no better way to make a bold change for the better than to hire a trainer who will drive you hard and keep you accountable. (Email Steve for information, or email me if you’d like to hear more about my experience.)

I also realize that this fitness journey I’ve embarked upon is changing. During the last three months, the workouts have been hard, as I was an unfit person…but the results and benefits were significant and probably came easier. From here on out, it will likely be the reverse. I’m in much better shape now, so I suspect melting the fat off might be a little harder. Either way, I’m staying the course. I’ll keep working hard at it.

… Starting tomorrow. Right now I have a birthday to celebrate.

(And by the way, the 12-mile hike I did to cover the “6 extra miles” Steve prescribed to offset my birthday indulgences was more of a reward than a cost. The views along the Switchbacks/Loop Road are phenomenal. The lakes are full and blue, the country is green, the peaks still have snow on them, and there are lots of wildflowers. Add to that I only saw 4 cars in 12 miles. The latter was probably a product of my starting early in the morning.)
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My fitness journey, switchback #2

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Hi there. This is post #2 of my reporting on, and sharing of my personal training program. I will be posting every week or two about my progress and learnings.

Hi. My name is Shelli. I'm 40 years old and I want to be in the best shape of my life.
Hi. My name is Shelli. I'm 40 years old and I want to be in the best shape of my life.

In case you missed it, here is Post 1, “A Mid-Life Training Program.”, which provides backstory.

So, if you’ve been following along, or know me, I’ve recently been on a pursuit. After being athletic and in great shape most of my life, I fell into a rut during the last 3-4 years.

Consider these blog posts to serve as milestones along my journey to better fitness, more energy, and fat loss. Better yet, let’s call them “switchbacks” since this is a big hill I’ve decided to climb.

This journey of mine is an important one. Until 2.5 months ago, every night I would lie in bed with a nagging regret that I had let another day pass without getting control of my fitness. Although I had never been happier in many respects, the fact I had let my fitness slide weighed heavy on me, in more ways than one. I was becoming lazy and soft. Worst of all was the fact I knew I was missing out on lots of things, fun things, as a result of my increasingly sloth-like nature.

It took me three years to take that first step into Elemental Gym and hire Steve Bechtel to be my personal trainer. Three years of hearing and seeing friends and acquaintances around town who were glowing and boasting about great results they were getting as a result of employing personal trainers (Steve Bechtel, Ellen Bechtel, and Jagoe Reid) at Elemental Gym.

Today, just 2.5 months later, I’m happy to report, I’ve lost 14 pounds and 7% bodyfat. Yeehaw! I still have a ways to go. This is a big mountain I’ve decided to climb, and I’m only beginning up the hill. But already the rewards are worth the effort. The aforementioned are measurable results that, ahem, I like. I like ’em a lot.

But so much more important than these stats is the fact that I have significantly more energy, I am happier, I can more easily bounce to the floor to have my endearing ‘dogpile’ with our three boys. These have all been wonderful signs of progress for me. Certainly, by all indications so far, it appears I’m headed in the right direction on my journey.

Beginning with this column, and in subsequent posts that will cover my pursuit of improved fitness, I’m going to put myself out there. In this age of social media and “sharing” and transparency, I’m going to disclose my beginning weight, current weight, body fat percentage, and who knows, possibly other measurements and stats. This is scary for me. But I do it in hopes of inspiring others to take the step I took, which has been such a positive change for me.

I'm putting myself out there. Here are my "stats."
I'm putting myself out there. Here are my "stats."

It’s not an easy step. It takes courage. I knew once I committed, I could not turn back. My health and future are too important. I tend to me my worst critic. I can be hard on myself. I would have to do my part or risk letting myself down.

I would need to get a return on my investment. On my emotional investment, physical investment, time investment and yes, my financial investment. As a result, hiring a personal trainer is a big step to take.

Sharon, one of my friends who is glowing from her own training with Jagoe, asked me the other day what my goal with the training is, and specifically, “When will you know that you’ve arrived?”

Wow – this is a good question. A little unsure myself of the answer to her question, I said something to the effect of: “Gosh, I’m just wanting to get into the best shape of my life.”

So, my goal is to reach a high level of overall fitness. That’s pretty general, though, so I’ve modified it to the following: I want for a realm of possibilities to be within my reach at any time. I want to be able to do a 50K trail run, a 25-mile day hike, an expedition to the top of the Grand Teton, or any other peak in our region, a 100-mile bike ride, at any time. I want to be able to do any of these things, or all of these things, without a bunch of new training required, and all with a good recovery.

post2checklist_picnik

I also want more energy. I want as much energy as our three sons have. I want it, and believe I can have it, gosh darn’t. It’s important to me that I be able to snowboard with our sons, and do the crazy things that as boys, our sons will surely be doing in the coming years.

I want to have confidence when I’m standing in front of a tourism conference making a presentation. I want to feel comfortable walking down the street or having to wear a dress to a wedding, and I want to bounce back from any injuries or illnesses that may present themselves in my future.

Geez, I want a lot of things, don’t I? Re-reading all of those “I wants” makes me feel a wee-bit selfish. But justified, I think, because they’re all for the betterment of my health and well-being. (BTW, I’m happy to share some of my tips for working out and getting in shape during times that least impact my family time; working out at 4:45 am three days a week, when the kiddos are enjoying their R.E.M. sleep, is one of them.)

One of the great benefits of working with a personal trainer, besides the accountability and prescribed workouts provided, is the knowledge I gain during my workout sessions. Steve explains the science behind the exercises and the strategy that’s behind the “madness.” For me, this knowledge gained helps me slug it out when it gets particularly difficult.

Steve has also provided guidance when it comes to nutrition and what I should and should not be eating. Absolutely, without question, adjusting my diet has helped me get the results mentioned earlier in this post. (Read: I’m not eating french fries, chips, cookies or pasta, and I’ve sacrificed some bread as well. But I manage to get some chocolate in.) I’m happy to share with you what I eat on a typical day. I’m hardly deprived. Email me if you’re interested.

In short, I’ve broken up with bad carbs. For comic relief:

For good measure, at the end of each of these posts, I’ll share with you one of the many nuggets of wisdom Steve shares with me.

There are three words that often come up when determining how to achieve weight loss and fitness improvement: Fast, Effective and Cheap. Steve feels strongly that at any one time, we can’t have all three, only two. An example of fast and cheap might be following the Atkins diet. It’s fast and it’s cheap, but in the long-term it likely won’t be effective. An example of effective and cheap might be committing to a walking or running program and some diet changes over the course of a year. This could be very effective, and could be quite cheap, but will take a while to achieve. The results likely will not come fast. Finally, fast and effective would describe what dedicated people get from working with a personal trainer. The work is hard, but when combined with good nutrition, can be delivered quite fast. (My own results in the last 2.5 months are proof of this)

One other I’ll mention, which is one I’m sure Steve’s other trainees hear, is “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you always got.” So, if you’re where I was almost 3 months ago, going to bed with regret that you haven’t taken steps to improve your health and fitness, then you can either roll over and have more of the same, or you can wake up and do something about it. I’m telling you, firsthand, the hard work is far easier than experiencing the nagging feelings of regret!

I want to mention that, true, I deserve credit for doing the work, and it is crazy hard work. And I get the credit for making positive changes to my diet. I get the credit for committing to make a change and for showing up. But my personal trainer prescribes the regimen, holds me accountable, drives me hard, and provides knowledge, all of which supports the bold action I was needing to take. How much is this worth? Very, very much. The pay off has far outweighed the costs.

So, to answer Sharon’s question, when will I know that I’ve arrived? I think I’ll know I’ve arrived as long as I never arrive. As long as I keep going on this journey. I’m staying the course.

(BTW, I am extremely grateful to my husband, Jerry, for being such a huge support and loving cheerleader for me, my family for their support, and Steve and his team at Elemental Gym. All have been a big reason for my success.)

Please feel free to email me with any questions about my personal experience and for more about my situation, goals, information about the typical training sessions, etc. This isn’t an ad. I feel strongly about the program I’m on, Elemental Gym, and the great results I’m experiencing and happy to share and encourage anyone. Or, check out Elemental Gym yourself, or email Steve, Ellen, or Jagoe, to get started with a personal trainer.